>> Background information

Development

National Urban Parks represent a new approach to conservation that has been enabled by the Land Use and Building Act, which came into force at the beginning of 2000. These parks are not conventional protected areas, but rather aim at safeguarding a continuum from natural habitats to heavily modified parks by setting limitations on city planning.

Four National Urban Parks have been established so far to preserve those parts of the urban fabric that have special recreational, historical and biodiversity values. The first National Urban Park was founded in 2001 and the latest in 2008. All present parks are situated in medium-sized cities in southern Finland and they cover a total area of nearly 9,000 hectares.

Impact on biodiversity